How to qualify as a person

Sepia-toned image of Nannette Gardner, who made women's history by casting a ballot in Detroit, some 49 years before women were granted the right to vote.

Forty-nine years before women were granted the right to vote in the U.S., Nannette Gardner would cast her ballot in Detroit, making women’s history. By fighting tirelessly for women’s rights, she bagan to shake the foundations of power, and her controversial vote provided the suffrage movement a notable victory.

  1. Smiling blonde woman leans against a wall with arms crossed, wearing gray suit with white blouse.

    Stopping the stigma

    For the next three years, surgeon Carrie Cunningham, M.D., ’01, must blow into an at-home breathalyzer before she leaves for work. She is required to blow three times a day, seven days a week. Cunningham is not alone among her peers. She is using her recovery from substance use disorder to speak out about mental health stigma among physicians.

  2. Couple poses in U-M-branded gear together as they donate large gift to U-M cancer research.

    U-M receives $50M gift for pancreatic cancer care, research

    The gift will create the Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer. The center will provide support for clinical care and translational research, playing to the strengths of the Rogel Cancer Center’s team of 60 doctors and scientists from 10 departments already working in this area.

  3. Long shot of a beautiful and well-kept garden as people pick produce.

    Harvest time: Community farm rekindles interest in growing and preserving food

    Phoenix Community Farm was founded in 2018 by alumna Beth DeVries, who was working as a nurse practitioner in Midland. She realized that many people were not able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables. Knowing how much good health relies on good food, she decided to take action.

  4. Graphic of a person who can't sleep, bleary-eyed and surrounded by time stamps that show they've been awake all night. Sky is purple and filled with clouds and stars.

    Free course shines light on sleep health

    An online class helps individuals learn about sleep disorders and the value of good sleep habits. The course is taught by sleep clinicians and national academic leaders at U-M with guest experts from several other institutions.

  5. Man in optometrist's office undergoes glaucoma test.

    Glaucoma study shows higher prevalence than previously estimated

    Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases which cause loss of sight by damaging the optic nerve. U-M study leverages multi-source, composite estimates of the prevalence of glaucoma and vision-affecting glaucoma in the U.S. for individuals aged 18 and older. Both total glaucoma and vision-affecting glaucoma vary by demographic factors.

  6. Bearded and gray African-American man in orange shirt sits with laptop.

    Misinformation, AI & health: Poll reveals older adults’ worries

    While the vast majority of people over 50 look for health information on the internet, a poll shows 74% would have very little or no trust in such information if it were generated by artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, 20% of older adults have little or no confidence that they could spot misinformation about a health topic if they came across it.

Looking good through the centuries

A new collection of vintage photos of Ann Arbor can be found online as part of the Bentley Historical Library’s contribution to the Ann Arbor Bicentennial. These black & white beauties come from the archive of Mel Ivory, co-founder of Ann Arbor’s Ivory Photo Engraving Company. Many of Ivory’s earliest photographs date to the 1920s and ’30s. The first batch of 2,700 images is now available to search and view, thanks to the Bentley and its partners at the U-M Library, who are hosting the photos on their digital collections platform. More to come in 2025. Click on any image to enlarge.

  • Football from above

    Mel Ivory, co-founder of Ivory Photo Engraving Company, began his photography career doing photo finishing at both his father’s and his uncle’s drug stores. Here, a person believed to be Ivory captures some action from a perch high above the football field in Michigan Stadium, circa 1940.

    Man bends over camera circa 1940. Black & white image shows overview of Michigan Stadium.

  • Outside looking in

    As Ann Arbor celebrates its bicentennial this year, the Bentley Library has made the Ivory Photo collection available online. These revelers in the original Pretzel Bell on Liberty surely would be delighted to know they are part of the package.

    A view into the Pretzel Bell from outside the window. Black & white.

  • Sing along

    Ivory’s extensive collection of photographic negatives documents Ann Arbor’s built environment, local businesses, and community life in the middle of the 20th century. Though this 1965 scene from Bimbo’s Pizza looks mighty lively, it’s chilling to see that Confederate flag on stage.

    Bimbo's interior, black & white, as band plays.

  • Liberty & Main

    “My hope is that access to these images supports community commemorations, individual recollections, and spurs the creativity of the entire Ann Arbor community as it reflects on its history,” says Alexis Antracoli, director of the Bentley Historical Library. This shot at one of Ann Arbor’s most iconic intersections showcases the Fritz Building as it looked in 1951.

    A shot of the intersection of LIberty and Main Street in Ann Arbor, 1951.

  • Don’t be shy

    Staff worked to prepare more than 10,000 photo negatives for digitization, many of which were delicate and even combustible due to a nitrate component, and therefore required special handling. This crew inside the Pretzel Bell survived since 1937, much to the likely chagrin of some folks covering their faces from the camera.

    Group of caucasian students gather at the Pretzel Bell for drinks in 1937.

  • Model form

    Ivory’s early work led him into a career in photography that began in the mid-1920s when he was an undergraduate at U-M. In 1938, he photographed this co-ed in front of the Michigan League as she modeled for Jacobson’s.

    A young woman models for Jacobson's Department store at the Michigan League in 1938.

  • Rainmaker

    Among the highlights of the Ann Arbor portion of the collection are photos of the World War II era, images of local businesses that may or may not still exist, and depictions of people participating in community and campus events. This evocative shot from 1937 is labeled “Rain Walker” and was taken at N. University and State Street from the doorway of the long-gone Calkins Fletcher.

    Black and white image of a woman walking on a rainy street in Ann Arbor, circa 1937.

  • Who wants pizza?

    After graduating, Ivory continued his photo finishing work and began providing photography services to the local community. His work continued into the 1970s. In 1965, he captured the exterior of popular pizza joint Bimbo’s on Washington Street.

    Exterior of Bimbo's Pizza neon sign in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  • Fill ‘er up

    More of Ivory’s original descriptions were extracted during the digitization process, meaning many of the images can now be searched using street address, organization name, building name, and more.

    Black and white image of the Staebler gas station 444 S. State Street, circa 1933. Vintage autos in front.

  • Who’s hungry?

    In 1968, Ivory captured the staff inside the Curtis Restaurant on South Main Street. “The Ivory Photo digitization project is one among what we hope will be many efforts that focus on community engagement,” says Bentley director Antracoli. “We are pleased to be able to help celebrate Ann Arbor in this way, and we look forward to more community partnerships of this kind.”

    Black and white image of Curtis Restaurant interior with staff, 1968. Classic diner with cafeteria line and comfortable booths.